US4066447A - Low expansion superalloy - Google Patents

Low expansion superalloy Download PDF

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US4066447A
US4066447A US05/703,528 US70352876A US4066447A US 4066447 A US4066447 A US 4066447A US 70352876 A US70352876 A US 70352876A US 4066447 A US4066447 A US 4066447A
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alloy
nickel
set forth
strength
chromium
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US05/703,528
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Darrell Franklin Smith, Jr.
Edward Frederick Clatworthy
Donald Edward Wenschhof, Jr.
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Huntington Alloys Corp
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Huntington Alloys Corp
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Priority to US05/703,528 priority Critical patent/US4066447A/en
Priority to CA275,224A priority patent/CA1085655A/en
Priority to GB27929/77A priority patent/GB1524800A/en
Priority to NO772381A priority patent/NO772381L/en
Priority to DE19772730452 priority patent/DE2730452A1/en
Priority to FR7720823A priority patent/FR2357652A1/en
Priority to SE7707931A priority patent/SE7707931L/en
Priority to JP8188277A priority patent/JPS536225A/en
Priority to BE179214A priority patent/BE856648A/en
Priority to US05/824,810 priority patent/US4144102A/en
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    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C19/00Alloys based on nickel or cobalt
    • C22C19/03Alloys based on nickel or cobalt based on nickel
    • C22C19/05Alloys based on nickel or cobalt based on nickel with chromium
    • C22C19/058Alloys based on nickel or cobalt based on nickel with chromium without Mo and W
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22CALLOYS
    • C22C38/00Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys
    • C22C38/18Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium
    • C22C38/40Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium with nickel
    • C22C38/52Ferrous alloys, e.g. steel alloys containing chromium with nickel with cobalt

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to nickel-iron base alloys and more particularly to nickel-iron alloys characterized by specially low coefficients of expansion.
  • alloy products and articles characterized by small coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of about 3 ⁇ 10 -6 /° F. to 6 ⁇ 10 -6 ° F. are specially desired.
  • the small coefficient should be maintained closely constant up to temperatures elevated substantially above room temperature, e.g., about 500° or 600° F., and desirably higher.
  • nickel-iron compositions characterized by very low expansion coefficients, some practically zero, e.g., an alloy of 36% special nickel and balance iron, and there have been teachings of special alloy compositional control for proportioning nickel and iron, with or without cobalt or other elements, in order to obtain desired expansion coefficients and special inflection temperatures.
  • the art has learned to strengthen nickel-iron controlled expansion alloys by adding precipitation hardening elements such as aluminum, titanium and columbium and has taught obtaining particularly desired thermoelastic coefficients with control of alloy composition that also provides low expansion characteristics.
  • precipitation-hardened nickel-iron-cobalt alloys having thermal expansion coefficients in the range of 3.8 ⁇ 10 -6 to 5.6 ⁇ 10 -6 in./in./° F. are referred to in "New Ni-Fe-Co Alloys Provide Constant Modulus + High Temperature Strength" by H. L. Eiselstein and J. K. Bell, Materials in Design Engineering, July 1965.
  • New Ni-Fe-Co Alloys Provide Constant Modulus + High Temperature Strength H. L. Eiselstein and J. K. Bell, Materials in Design Engineering, July 1965.
  • notch-strength particularly 1200° F. notch-rupture strength
  • high-strength low-expansion nickel-iron alloy products strengthened with gamma-prime precipitates are overcome, or at least ameliorated, with additions of small, specially controlled, amounts of chromium, such as about 2% or 5% chromium.
  • the invention is specially beneficial for providing enhanced notch-rupture strength in recrystallized wrought nickel-iron alloy products containing 30% or more each of nickel and iron and characterized by thermal expansion coefficients not greater than about 6 ⁇ 10 -6 /° F. up to inflection temperatures of at least 550° F. and by yield strengths of 110,000 pounds per square inch or higher along with good elevated temperature strength.
  • chromium in amounts of 1.8 to 4.8% has been effective for the invention. It is also contemplated that larger amounts such as about 6 or 8% chromium may be included.
  • the invention includes an alloy composition that is specially controlled with compositional relationships wherein certain elements of the composition are mutually correlated to insure satisfactory characteristics of thermal expansion coefficient, inflection temperature, yield strength, notch-strength and ductility with an alloy containing, by weight, about 30% to 55 or 57% nickel, 1.7 to 8.3% chromium, advantageously 1.7 to 5.5% chromium, 1 to 2% titanium, 1.5 to 5% columbium, up to 31% cobalt, up to 1.5% aluminum, up to about 0.06% or 0.10% carbon and possibly up to 0.20% carbon, up to about 2% manganese, up to about 1% silicon, up to 0.03% boron, advantageously 0.002% to 0.012% boron, and balance iron in an amount of at least 34% and with the composition further controlled to satisfy the following relationships:
  • age-hardening, aging, aged and like terms refer to the kind of strengthening known as gamma-prime precipitation hardening, involving precipitation of Ni 3 (Al, Cb, Ti, Ta) and possibly including the body-centered tetragonal gamma double-prime.
  • Relationship D is also beneficial for obtaining adequate ductility and resistance to strain age cracking during welding.
  • the invention is particularly successful in providing high strength, controlled expansion, wrought products characterized in the recrystallized and age-hardened condition by thermal expansion coefficients in the range of 3.0 to 5.8 ⁇ 10 -6 ° F., inflection temperatures of at least 550° F., room temperature yield strength of at least 110,000 psi and 1200° F. notch rupture strength sufficient for life of at least 48 hours at stress of 70,000 psi (70ksi). It is also to be noted that the recrystallized condition provides isotropic benefits of an equiaxed grain structure.
  • Tantalum may be present as an associate of columbium obtained from commercial sources, and may be about one-tenth or less of the amount of columbium in the alloy or can be deliberately added. It is contemplated that tantalum may be substituted for part, one-half, or all of the columbium provided the tantalum is twice the weight percentage of columbium deleted. Accordingly, it is understood the alloy can contain metal from the group columbium, tantalum and mixtures thereof in proportions whereby the weight percent of columbium plus 1/2 the weight percent of tantalum is 1.5 to 5% of the alloy. And for relationships A, B, C and D, any incorporation of tantalum is to be at one-half the weight percent present. Thus relationships (C) and (D) can be stated as:
  • the alloy can contain deoxidants and/or malleabilizers, e.g., 0.01% calcium, 0.01% magnesium, 0.10% zirconium and other elements in amounts that do not destroy the desired characteristics.
  • Tolerable impurities include up to 1% copper, up to 1% molybdenum, up to 1% tungsten, up to 0.015% phosphorus and up to 0.015% sulfur.
  • Silicon content is desirably maintained not greater than about 0.5% to ensure good forgeability and weldability.
  • the alloy can be prepared by melting practices known for production of high quality nickel-iron alloys. Induction melting, by air melt practices and by vacuum melt practices, has been found satisfactory. Other melt practices, e.g., electroflux melting or vacuum-arc melting or remelting, can be utilized if desired.
  • the alloy has good malleability for hot working and for cold working.
  • warm-working followed by recrystallization annealing provides satisfactory results, including good notch-rupture strength characteristics.
  • warm working refers to the special kind of cold working that is conducted at elevated, nearly hot, temperatures that are below and yet within a few hundred degrees of the alloy recrystallization temperature, e.g., 30° to 300° F.
  • Recrystallized products of the alloy are characterized by equiaxed grain structures that are advantageous for obtaining isotropic strength properties and other properties.
  • the satisfactoriness of the alloy for warm working methods is beneficial to efficiency and economy in commercial production inasmuch as forging, rolling or other working of the alloy can be continued while the alloy cools down from the hot working range and through and below the recrystallization temperature, thus avoiding lost time and expense of interrupting working in order to reheat.
  • Hot working of ingots of the alloy can commence at around 2100° F. and can continue down to the warm working range and, if desired, working of the hot-worked alloy can continue as the alloy cools into the warm working range.
  • Reheating for recrystallization annealing of the warm worked alloy is generally done in the range of about 1700° F. to 1900° F. for about one hour to one-quarter hour, depending, of course, on the amount of work energy retained while working below the recrystallization temperature.
  • Annealing one hour at 1700° F., or 1/4-hour at 1900° F., or proportionately therebetween, is desirable for producing fine-grain structures. Fine-grain structures are advantageous for ensuring good notch-rupture strength and high room-temperature strength; yet, in some embodiments the alloy has good notch-rupture strength in both the coarse and the fine grain conditions.
  • grain structures referred to as recrystallized fine are characterized by an average grain size of up to about ASTM No. 5, frequency ASTM No. 5 to No. 8, whereas grain structures referred to as recrystallized coarse have an average grain size of about ASTM No. 4.5 or larger, frequently ASTM No. 2 to No. 4
  • Recrystallization annealing at temperatures of at least 1700° F. also serves toward placing the alloy in a homogeneous solid-solution condition with most, if not all, the gamma-prime forming elements in solution, as preparation for an aging treatment. (The anneal is not a carbide-solution anneal.) Water quenching after annealing is desirable for retaining the solution condition until the next treatment step, although in some instances a slower cooling, e.g., air cooling, may be satisfactory.
  • a slower cooling e.g., air cooling
  • the alloy is strengthened by aging at temperatures of about 1150° to 1350° F. for about 8 or more hours.
  • the hot-worked alloy, with or without warm or cold working is placed in a solid-solution condition prior to aging, albeit good results may in some instances be obtainable without a full solution treatment.
  • An especially satisfactory aging treatment comprises, in continuous sequence, holding at 1325° F. for 8 hours, furnace cooling therefrom at a rate of 100° per hour to 1150° F., holding at 1150° F. for 8 hours and then cooling in air, or in the furnace, to room temperature.
  • the age-hardened products have at least 110 ksi yield strength and about 8% or more tensile elongation at room temperature and attain at least 2% smooth-bar stress-rupture elongation at 1200° F.
  • the products are ferromagnetic at room temperature and at higher temperatures up to about the inflection temperature. It should be understood that as a practical matter, the inflection temperature may differ a few degrees, or 10° or 20° F., from the Curi temperature.
  • the alloy composition is controlled to contain 30 to 55% nickel, 1.7 to 5.5% chromium and up to 27.5% cobalt and is proportioned to provide that Rel.
  • A (relationship A) does not exceed 48.8 and Rel. B is at least 43.5.
  • the above mentioned 30-55Ni/1.7-5.5Cr composition is further controlled to contain at least 2.2% columbium and Rel. C is at least 4.92.
  • rupture strengths of embodiments of the invention refer to strengths in both smooth and notch configurations, with notch K t at least 3.5, and elongations refer to elongation after fracture in a smooth-bar configuration.
  • aluminum is up to 0.4% and (Cb+1/2Ta) is up to 4% and Rel.
  • C is at least 4.36 and Cb ⁇ Cr is at least 7.0 and, with this, advantageously good ductility characteristics of 5% rupture elongation and 10% room temperature elongation and 120 ksi yield strength, or better, are obtained in the coarse-grain condition.
  • a melt for an alloy, referred to herein as alloy 1, containing about 38.5% nickel, 15.5% cobalt, 4.5% chromium, 1.5% titanium, 0.6% aluminum, 2% manganese, 0.005% boron and balance iron (about 35% iron) was prepared by air-induction melting elemental metals, and chromium and columbium ferro-alloys, of commercial-grade high purity. Aluminum, titanium and small amounts of ferroboron were added shortly before the melt was ready for tapping. Deoxidation was by a 0.06% calcium addition. The alloy was cast and solidified in an ingot mold in an air atmosphere. Results of chemical analysis of alloy 1 and calculations of Relationships A, B, C, D and E for alloy 1 are set forth hereinafter in Table IA, respectively.
  • the ingot was heated for homogenization at 2150° F. for 12 to 16 hours and hammer-forged at about 2050° F. to an 11/16-inch square, which was about 50% over the planned final billet size. Then the hot-worked billet was cooled on the hammer to 1600° F. and final forged to 9/16-inch square bars and air-cooled. Forging finished at about 1500° F. or slightly lower and resulted in the warm-worked condition. Specimens for short time tensile tests, stress-rupture tests and thermal expansion tests were machined from bars of alloy 1 in the warm-worked (as-forged) condition and were treated by annealing and aging after machining.
  • Annealing was in an air atmosphere furnace for one hour at the annealing temperature and water quenching to room temperature. Some of the warm-worked bars were annealed at 1625° F., others at 1700° F. The anneal at 1700° F. fully recrystallized the microstructure; the 1625° F. anneal resulted in a partially recrystallized structure with a mixture of longitudinal grains and equiaxed grains. The 1700° F. anneal resulted in recrystallized fine-grained structures with average grain size in the range of 0.0012-inch to 0.0018-inch diameter.
  • the alloy was reheated in air to 1325° F., held 8 hours at 1325° F., then furnace cooled to 1150° F. at a cooling rate of 100° F. per hour, then held 8 hours at 1150° F. and thereafter air cooled to room temperature.
  • the aging treatment resulted in strengthening the alloy by precipitating gamma prime in a gamma phase matrix.
  • Grain structures referred to in the following tables as recrystallized fine were generally equiaxed with average grain sizes up to 0.0025-inch diameter, mostly 0.0009-inch to 0.0022-inch diameter; those referred to as recrystallized coarse were equiaxed with average grain sizes greater than 0.0030-inch diameter, mostly 0.0035-inch to 0.005-inch diameter.
  • the incompletely recrystallized structures in the products annealed at 1550° F. or 1625° F. have a substantial portion, such as one-half or more of the structure, with longitudinally oriented warm-worked grains having aspect ratios of about 2:1 to 4:1 and transverse grain sizes that appeared to be fine when viewed on cross-section.
  • Metallurgical examination, by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, of specimens obtained from the foregoing examples showed the annealed-plus-aged structures consisted of a gamma matrix having a precipitation-strengthening gamma-prime phase and discontinuous, globular, carbides in the grain boundaries.
  • the gamma-prime was of an ultra fine size that was not resolved by optical magnification up to 1000 ⁇ , the presence being confirmed by diffraction. No phases other than carbides were evident in the grain boundaries.
  • Coefficients of expansion set forth in Table II are mean coefficients of linear thermal expansion averaged from dilatometer measurements between room temperature and inflection temperature. Inflection temperatures (IT) set forth in the table were determined by the tangent intersection method.
  • compositional ranges and melting aims for preparing alloys of the invention characterized by small expansion coefficients of about 4.25 ⁇ 10 -6 in./in./° F are set forth in conjunction with exemplary physical and mechanical characteristics in Table IV. If desired, the proportions of nickel, cobalt and iron can be adjusted, within the ranges and according to the relationships of the invention, in order to vary the expansion characteristics, for instance, by increasing Rel. A to increase the expansion coefficient.
  • An especially recommendable composition for obtaining a particularly good combination of expansion, strength and ductility characteristics in the recrystallized-plusaged condition, along with good forgeability and other fabricability for production of articles and structures, including brazed or welded structures, contains 36% to 40% nickel, 12 to 16% cobalt, 1.8 to 3.2% chromium, 3% to 4% columbium, 1.2 to 1.6% titanium, 0.1 to 0.4% aluminum, up to 0.06% carbon, 0.002 to 0.012% boron and balance essentially iron in an amount of at least 36%.
  • ductility characteristics can be favored by aiming at about 3%, or 2.75% to 3.25%, columbium, or, strength characteristics can be favored with an aim of about 4%, or 3.75 to 4.25% columbium.
  • the present invention is applicable in the production of wrought products and articles for machines and structures that are heated and cooled to a variety of temperatures from room temperature to elevated temperatures such as 600° or 1200° F. and is particularly applicable to gas turbine components such as seals, brackets, flanges, shafts, bolts, and casings.
  • the good fabricability of the alloy is beneficial for providing versatility in using the alloy to obtain required strength and other characteristics in a variety of production situations, for instance, where it is desired to confine forging to the hot working range when the alloy is relatively soft and forgeable with relatively low pressure and wear on the dies, or, for different production conditions, where it is more economical to extend working down into the warm working range.

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Abstract

Nickel-iron and nickel-iron-cobalt alloys contain chromium and gamma-prime hardening elements in proportions balanced according to special compositional relationships providing desired thermal expansion, inflection temperature, strength and ductility characteristics, particularly including notch strength needed in machinery and structures subjected in use to varying temperatures and thermal gradients where operating temperatures become elevated above 500 DEG F.

Description

The present invention relates to nickel-iron base alloys and more particularly to nickel-iron alloys characterized by specially low coefficients of expansion.
Heretofore there have been needs for heat-resistant structural articles for use in structural situations having special restrictions on thermal expansion, for instance, articles for supporting or for forming seals between gas turbine engine components that become heated to different temperatures during engine operation. Among other considerations, differences in engine operating conditions, e.g., take-off power and cruise power, can have different thermal gradients across or along the engine assembly. Also, differences in thermal expansion characteristics of different metals in an engine contribute to thermal expansion difficulties. To overcome thermal expansion difficulties at special places in turbine engines, and other heat powered engines and heated structures, which can be very complex, there are needs for controlling thermal expansion to relatively low levels such as about half the thermal expansion of about 8 to 9 × 10-6 per degree Fahrenheit that characterizes many of the high strength heat-resistant alloys used for gas turbine components. In view of such needs, alloy products and articles characterized by small coefficients of thermal expansion in the range of about 3 × 10-6 /° F. to 6 × 10-6 ° F. are specially desired. Moreover, inasmuch as most components of turbines are heated hundreds of degrees above room temperature, the small coefficient should be maintained closely constant up to temperatures elevated substantially above room temperature, e.g., about 500° or 600° F., and desirably higher.
Heretofore there have been discoveries of nickel-iron compositions characterized by very low expansion coefficients, some practically zero, e.g., an alloy of 36% special nickel and balance iron, and there have been teachings of special alloy compositional control for proportioning nickel and iron, with or without cobalt or other elements, in order to obtain desired expansion coefficients and special inflection temperatures. Moreover, the art has learned to strengthen nickel-iron controlled expansion alloys by adding precipitation hardening elements such as aluminum, titanium and columbium and has taught obtaining particularly desired thermoelastic coefficients with control of alloy composition that also provides low expansion characteristics. For instance, precipitation-hardened nickel-iron-cobalt alloys having thermal expansion coefficients in the range of 3.8 × 10-6 to 5.6 × 10-6 in./in./° F. are referred to in "New Ni-Fe-Co Alloys Provide Constant Modulus + High Temperature Strength" by H. L. Eiselstein and J. K. Bell, Materials in Design Engineering, July 1965. Where the desire for use moves from laboratory instrument use to industrial and transportation use, such as for gas turbine engines, needs of additional qualities for service in industrially produced forms become particularly important. Among other things, needs for strength and toughness where structures have notches, and needs for strength in structures that are heated to high elevated temperatures, such as 1200° F., even if above the inflection temperature, and needs to endure thermal fatigue and shock, and in some special instances, needs to tolerate extraordinary heating if required for treating other members of an assembly, for instance, when a portion of an associated structure must be heated to brazing or welding temperature, are serious considerations. Furthermore, it must be understood that assembled structures for engines, vehicles, etc. are often subjected to stresses in a variety of directions and isotropy of alloy product characteristics is highly desirable, or sometimes necessary.
There has now been discovered an alloy having a specially controlled composition that enables production of heat-treated wrought products having desired combinations of thermal expansion and strength characteristics.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alloy, and products thereof, for obtaining low expansion and high strength properties.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
In the present invention, certain difficulties of obtaining satisfactory notch-strength, particularly 1200° F. notch-rupture strength, in high-strength low-expansion nickel-iron alloy products strengthened with gamma-prime precipitates are overcome, or at least ameliorated, with additions of small, specially controlled, amounts of chromium, such as about 2% or 5% chromium. The invention is specially beneficial for providing enhanced notch-rupture strength in recrystallized wrought nickel-iron alloy products containing 30% or more each of nickel and iron and characterized by thermal expansion coefficients not greater than about 6 × 10-6 /° F. up to inflection temperatures of at least 550° F. and by yield strengths of 110,000 pounds per square inch or higher along with good elevated temperature strength. In a number of instances, chromium in amounts of 1.8 to 4.8% has been effective for the invention. It is also contemplated that larger amounts such as about 6 or 8% chromium may be included. The invention includes an alloy composition that is specially controlled with compositional relationships wherein certain elements of the composition are mutually correlated to insure satisfactory characteristics of thermal expansion coefficient, inflection temperature, yield strength, notch-strength and ductility with an alloy containing, by weight, about 30% to 55 or 57% nickel, 1.7 to 8.3% chromium, advantageously 1.7 to 5.5% chromium, 1 to 2% titanium, 1.5 to 5% columbium, up to 31% cobalt, up to 1.5% aluminum, up to about 0.06% or 0.10% carbon and possibly up to 0.20% carbon, up to about 2% manganese, up to about 1% silicon, up to 0.03% boron, advantageously 0.002% to 0.012% boron, and balance iron in an amount of at least 34% and with the composition further controlled to satisfy the following relationships:
A. %ni+0.88 (%Co)-1.70(%Al)-2.01(%Ti)+ 0.26(%Mn+%Cr) equal up to (and not greater than) 51.8
B. %ni+1.13(%Co)-2.69(%Al)-1.47(%Ti)-1.93(%Mn)- 2.51(%Cr)+1.87(√%Cr) at least 40.8
C. %al+1.3(%Ti)+1.44(%Cb)-0.12(%Cb)2 - 0.37(%Cr)+0.03(%Cr)2 at least 3.81
D. %al+1.3(%Ti)+0.25(%Cb)-0.125(%Cr) equal up to 3.18
The foregoing relationships A, B, C and D are particularly directed at controlling the expansion coefficient, inflection temperature, yield strength and notch strength characteristics, respectively, of recrystallized age-hardened wrought products. Herein, in reference to products of the invention, age-hardening, aging, aged and like terms refer to the kind of strengthening known as gamma-prime precipitation hardening, involving precipitation of Ni3 (Al, Cb, Ti, Ta) and possibly including the body-centered tetragonal gamma double-prime. Relationship D is also beneficial for obtaining adequate ductility and resistance to strain age cracking during welding. With the composition controlled in accordance with the foregoing ranges and relationships, the invention is particularly successful in providing high strength, controlled expansion, wrought products characterized in the recrystallized and age-hardened condition by thermal expansion coefficients in the range of 3.0 to 5.8 × 10-6 ° F., inflection temperatures of at least 550° F., room temperature yield strength of at least 110,000 psi and 1200° F. notch rupture strength sufficient for life of at least 48 hours at stress of 70,000 psi (70ksi). It is also to be noted that the recrystallized condition provides isotropic benefits of an equiaxed grain structure.
Tantalum may be present as an associate of columbium obtained from commercial sources, and may be about one-tenth or less of the amount of columbium in the alloy or can be deliberately added. It is contemplated that tantalum may be substituted for part, one-half, or all of the columbium provided the tantalum is twice the weight percentage of columbium deleted. Accordingly, it is understood the alloy can contain metal from the group columbium, tantalum and mixtures thereof in proportions whereby the weight percent of columbium plus 1/2 the weight percent of tantalum is 1.5 to 5% of the alloy. And for relationships A, B, C and D, any incorporation of tantalum is to be at one-half the weight percent present. Thus relationships (C) and (D) can be stated as:
C. %al+1.3(%Ti)+1.44(%Cb+1/2Ta)-0.12(Cb+1/2Ta)2 - 0.37(%Cr)+0.03(%Cr)2 at least 3.81
D. %al+1.3(%Ti)+0.25(%Cb+1/2Ta)-0.125(%Cr) up to 3.18
It is also to be understood the alloy can contain deoxidants and/or malleabilizers, e.g., 0.01% calcium, 0.01% magnesium, 0.10% zirconium and other elements in amounts that do not destroy the desired characteristics. Tolerable impurities include up to 1% copper, up to 1% molybdenum, up to 1% tungsten, up to 0.015% phosphorus and up to 0.015% sulfur.
Silicon content is desirably maintained not greater than about 0.5% to ensure good forgeability and weldability.
The alloy can be prepared by melting practices known for production of high quality nickel-iron alloys. Induction melting, by air melt practices and by vacuum melt practices, has been found satisfactory. Other melt practices, e.g., electroflux melting or vacuum-arc melting or remelting, can be utilized if desired. The alloy has good malleability for hot working and for cold working. Moreover, with the alloy composition controlled in accordance with the invention, warm-working followed by recrystallization annealing provides satisfactory results, including good notch-rupture strength characteristics. Herein, warm working refers to the special kind of cold working that is conducted at elevated, nearly hot, temperatures that are below and yet within a few hundred degrees of the alloy recrystallization temperature, e.g., 30° to 300° F. below the recrystallization temperature of the alloy being worked. Recrystallized products of the alloy are characterized by equiaxed grain structures that are advantageous for obtaining isotropic strength properties and other properties. Among other benefits, the satisfactoriness of the alloy for warm working methods is beneficial to efficiency and economy in commercial production inasmuch as forging, rolling or other working of the alloy can be continued while the alloy cools down from the hot working range and through and below the recrystallization temperature, thus avoiding lost time and expense of interrupting working in order to reheat.
Hot working of ingots of the alloy can commence at around 2100° F. and can continue down to the warm working range and, if desired, working of the hot-worked alloy can continue as the alloy cools into the warm working range. Reheating for recrystallization annealing of the warm worked alloy is generally done in the range of about 1700° F. to 1900° F. for about one hour to one-quarter hour, depending, of course, on the amount of work energy retained while working below the recrystallization temperature. Annealing one hour at 1700° F., or 1/4-hour at 1900° F., or proportionately therebetween, is desirable for producing fine-grain structures. Fine-grain structures are advantageous for ensuring good notch-rupture strength and high room-temperature strength; yet, in some embodiments the alloy has good notch-rupture strength in both the coarse and the fine grain conditions.
In reference to products of the invention, grain structures referred to as recrystallized fine are characterized by an average grain size of up to about ASTM No. 5, frequency ASTM No. 5 to No. 8, whereas grain structures referred to as recrystallized coarse have an average grain size of about ASTM No. 4.5 or larger, frequently ASTM No. 2 to No. 4
Recrystallization annealing at temperatures of at least 1700° F. also serves toward placing the alloy in a homogeneous solid-solution condition with most, if not all, the gamma-prime forming elements in solution, as preparation for an aging treatment. (The anneal is not a carbide-solution anneal.) Water quenching after annealing is desirable for retaining the solution condition until the next treatment step, although in some instances a slower cooling, e.g., air cooling, may be satisfactory.
The alloy is strengthened by aging at temperatures of about 1150° to 1350° F. for about 8 or more hours. Desirably, the hot-worked alloy, with or without warm or cold working, is placed in a solid-solution condition prior to aging, albeit good results may in some instances be obtainable without a full solution treatment. An especially satisfactory aging treatment comprises, in continuous sequence, holding at 1325° F. for 8 hours, furnace cooling therefrom at a rate of 100° per hour to 1150° F., holding at 1150° F. for 8 hours and then cooling in air, or in the furnace, to room temperature.
Generally, in both the fine-grain and the coarse-grain conditions, the age-hardened products have at least 110 ksi yield strength and about 8% or more tensile elongation at room temperature and attain at least 2% smooth-bar stress-rupture elongation at 1200° F.
The products are ferromagnetic at room temperature and at higher temperatures up to about the inflection temperature. It should be understood that as a practical matter, the inflection temperature may differ a few degrees, or 10° or 20° F., from the Curi temperature.
Advantageously, for production of products characterized by thermal expansion coefficients not exceeding 5 × 10-6 /° F. and inflection temperatures of at least 620° F., the alloy composition is controlled to contain 30 to 55% nickel, 1.7 to 5.5% chromium and up to 27.5% cobalt and is proportioned to provide that Rel. A (relationship A) does not exceed 48.8 and Rel. B is at least 43.5.
For ensuring particularly good strength, including room temperature yield strength of at least 130 ksi and 1200° F. rupture strength sufficient to sustain loads of 85 ksi for 48 hours in both smooth-bar and notch-bar configurations when the product is in the fine-grain annealed condition, the above mentioned 30-55Ni/1.7-5.5Cr composition is further controlled to contain at least 2.2% columbium and Rel. C is at least 4.92.
Hereafter, it is to be understood that rupture strengths of embodiments of the invention refer to strengths in both smooth and notch configurations, with notch Kt at least 3.5, and elongations refer to elongation after fracture in a smooth-bar configuration.
Another embodiment wherein aluminum is no greater than 0.8% and titanium no greater than 1.6%, and wherein %Cb × %Cr is no less than 7 (Rel. E), and relationship C is at least 4.36 provides at least 120 ksi yield strength and 10% elongation at room temperature and at least 85 ksi rupture strength for 48 hr. life at 1200° F. in the coarse grain annealed condition.
In another embodiment wherein aluminum is restricted to not exceed 0.4%, %Cb+1/2%Ta restricted to not exceed 4% and relationship C is at least 4.36, advantageously good stress-rupture ductility of at least 5% elongation at 1200° F. is obtained in the fine-grain condition while room temperature yield strength is at least 120 ksi.
In a particularly closely restricted embodiment, aluminum is up to 0.4% and (Cb+1/2Ta) is up to 4% and Rel. C is at least 4.36 and Cb × Cr is at least 7.0 and, with this, advantageously good ductility characteristics of 5% rupture elongation and 10% room temperature elongation and 120 ksi yield strength, or better, are obtained in the coarse-grain condition.
Especially good 1200° F. rupture strength (for at least 48 hr. life) of at least 95 ksi along with advantageous room temperature characteristics of at least 130 ksi yield strength is achieved with coarse-grain embodiments containing up to 0.8% alumnium and up to 1.6% titanium and 2.9% to 5.0% columbium and proportioned to have Rel. C at least 4.92 and %Cb × %Cr at least 7.0. Rupture elongation is 2% or better; when 5% is desired, aluminum should be restricted to not exceed 0.4% and (Cb+1/2Ta) to not exceed 4%.
Stress-rupture elongation of at least 5% along with 85 ksi rupture strength at 1200° F., is obtained with fine-grain products having 2.2% to 4.0% columbium (or Cb+1/2Ta), up to 0.4% aluminum and Rel. C at least 4.92.
For purposes of giving those skilled in the art a further understanding of the practice and advantages of the invention, the following examples are given.
EXAMPLE I
A melt for an alloy, referred to herein as alloy 1, containing about 38.5% nickel, 15.5% cobalt, 4.5% chromium, 1.5% titanium, 0.6% aluminum, 2% manganese, 0.005% boron and balance iron (about 35% iron) was prepared by air-induction melting elemental metals, and chromium and columbium ferro-alloys, of commercial-grade high purity. Aluminum, titanium and small amounts of ferroboron were added shortly before the melt was ready for tapping. Deoxidation was by a 0.06% calcium addition. The alloy was cast and solidified in an ingot mold in an air atmosphere. Results of chemical analysis of alloy 1 and calculations of Relationships A, B, C, D and E for alloy 1 are set forth hereinafter in Table IA, respectively. The ingot was heated for homogenization at 2150° F. for 12 to 16 hours and hammer-forged at about 2050° F. to an 11/16-inch square, which was about 50% over the planned final billet size. Then the hot-worked billet was cooled on the hammer to 1600° F. and final forged to 9/16-inch square bars and air-cooled. Forging finished at about 1500° F. or slightly lower and resulted in the warm-worked condition. Specimens for short time tensile tests, stress-rupture tests and thermal expansion tests were machined from bars of alloy 1 in the warm-worked (as-forged) condition and were treated by annealing and aging after machining. Annealing was in an air atmosphere furnace for one hour at the annealing temperature and water quenching to room temperature. Some of the warm-worked bars were annealed at 1625° F., others at 1700° F. The anneal at 1700° F. fully recrystallized the microstructure; the 1625° F. anneal resulted in a partially recrystallized structure with a mixture of longitudinal grains and equiaxed grains. The 1700° F. anneal resulted in recrystallized fine-grained structures with average grain size in the range of 0.0012-inch to 0.0018-inch diameter. For aging, the alloy was reheated in air to 1325° F., held 8 hours at 1325° F., then furnace cooled to 1150° F. at a cooling rate of 100° F. per hour, then held 8 hours at 1150° F. and thereafter air cooled to room temperature. The aging treatment resulted in strengthening the alloy by precipitating gamma prime in a gamma phase matrix. Results of short-time tensile testing the thus prepared heat-treated wrought products of alloy 1 by standard procedures for testing mechanical properties including 0.2% offset yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) in kips per square inch (ksi), tensile elongation (El) along 1.0 inch gage length and reduction of area (RA) across 0.252 inch diameter gage section at room temperature and 1200° F. and of dilatometer measurements to determine the mean coefficient of thermal expansion (COE) and the inflection temperature (IT) are set forth in the following Table II. Expansion measurements were made on alloys annealed at 1550° F. or higher, since expansion test experience has indicated that COE and IT values are little effected by annealing temperatures in the range of about 1550° to 1900° F. which result in the partially recrystallized or fine grained structures. These values are only slightly effected (i.e., 3% increase in COE) by the use of coarse grain anneals. Results of stress-rupture tests at 1200° F., performed on forged-and-heat treated smooth-bar specimens (0.200-inch diameter, 1.000-inch gage length) and on larger diameter notch-bar specimens having a 0.200-inch diameter notch, which for this example was machined to provide a stress concentration (Kt) of 4.1 are set forth, along with heat treatment and grain size information, in Table III. In order to accelerate termination of the tests, stress-rupture loads were increased after specimens had demonstrated sufficient strength, including notched section strength, for withstanding tensile loads of 70 ksi for at least 48 hours. In view of results in Table III showing extended life beyond 48 hours in presence of a more than ordinarily severe notch-stress concentration with Kt = 4.1, it is evident that after fine-grain recrystallizing at 1700° F. alloy 1 had notch-strength more than amply sufficient for at least 48 hour life with 70 ksi stress at 1200° F.
EXAMPLE II
An alloy having the chemical analyses and compositional relationships shown for alloy 2 in Tables I and IA was prepared by vacuum induction melting raw materials of the kind used in example I, vacuum-cast and solidified to ingot form and then homogenized and hammer forged to a 50% oversize billet by the practices used for example I. Melt deoxidation was again by a 0.06% calcium addition. The billet was reheated at 1600° F. then forged to final size of about 9/16-inch square. Results of heat treating and testing specimens by practices generally paralleling those of example I and using combination smooth/notch bar specimens having a more usual notch Kt of 3.6 and varied anneals are set forth in Tables II and III. p Results of testing other examples of products prepared by vacuum melting, forging and heat treating according to procedures of examples I and II and as indicated in the tables are also set forth in the following tables.
Grain structures referred to in the following tables as recrystallized fine were generally equiaxed with average grain sizes up to 0.0025-inch diameter, mostly 0.0009-inch to 0.0022-inch diameter; those referred to as recrystallized coarse were equiaxed with average grain sizes greater than 0.0030-inch diameter, mostly 0.0035-inch to 0.005-inch diameter. The incompletely recrystallized structures in the products annealed at 1550° F. or 1625° F. have a substantial portion, such as one-half or more of the structure, with longitudinally oriented warm-worked grains having aspect ratios of about 2:1 to 4:1 and transverse grain sizes that appeared to be fine when viewed on cross-section.
Metallurgical examination, by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction, of specimens obtained from the foregoing examples showed the annealed-plus-aged structures consisted of a gamma matrix having a precipitation-strengthening gamma-prime phase and discontinuous, globular, carbides in the grain boundaries. The gamma-prime was of an ultra fine size that was not resolved by optical magnification up to 1000×, the presence being confirmed by diffraction. No phases other than carbides were evident in the grain boundaries.
Coefficients of expansion (COE) set forth in Table II are mean coefficients of linear thermal expansion averaged from dilatometer measurements between room temperature and inflection temperature. Inflection temperatures (IT) set forth in the table were determined by the tangent intersection method.
Expansion of products of alloys 4 and 7 was further tested at temperatures above the inflection temperature and showed mean COE values, from room temperature to 1200° F., of 6.0 × 10-6 /° F. and 6.5 × 10-6 /° F. respectively. The mean COE of alloy 7 reached 6 × 10-6 at about 1050° F.
For ensuring good inflection temperature characteristics, it is desirable to have at least 7% cobalt in the alloy.
                                  TABLE I                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
Chemical Analyses (weight percent)                                        
Alloy                                                                     
No. Ni  Co  Cr Cb*                                                        
                  Ti Al C  Si Mn B   Fe                                   
__________________________________________________________________________
1   38.55                                                                 
        15.45                                                             
            4.45                                                          
               3.17                                                       
                  1.45                                                    
                     0.61                                                 
                        0.01                                              
                           0.13                                           
                              1.97                                        
                                 0.003                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
2   34.69                                                                 
        17.80                                                             
            1.92                                                          
               2.99                                                       
                  1.45                                                    
                     0.28                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.07                                           
                              0.01                                        
                                 0.008                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
3   34.83                                                                 
        17.47                                                             
            1.97                                                          
               4.30                                                       
                  1.44                                                    
                     0.31                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.06                                           
                              0.02                                        
                                 0.007                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
4   37.94                                                                 
        15.07                                                             
            1.83                                                          
               3.10                                                       
                  1.41                                                    
                     0.78                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.08                                           
                              0.10                                        
                                 0.007                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
5   33.82                                                                 
        19.72                                                             
            2.01                                                          
               1.87                                                       
                  1.45                                                    
                     0.85                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.07                                           
                              0.02                                        
                                 0.006                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
6   38.28                                                                 
        15.30                                                             
            3.04                                                          
               3.19                                                       
                  1.40                                                    
                     0.94                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.09                                           
                              0.02                                        
                                 0.008                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
7   38.08                                                                 
        15.00                                                             
            3.80                                                          
               3.10                                                       
                  1.44                                                    
                     0.75                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.08                                           
                              0.04                                        
                                 0.006                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
8   38.32                                                                 
        15.37                                                             
            4.85                                                          
               3.10                                                       
                  1.42                                                    
                     0.94                                                 
                        0.02                                              
                           0.09                                           
                              0.02                                        
                                 0.009                                    
                                     Bal.                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
 *including up to about 0.5% tantalum.                                    
 Bal. - Balance (except for minor amounts of impurities, e.g., 0.005% or  
 0.01% sulfur and 0.02% copper.                                           
              TABLE IA                                                    
______________________________________                                    
Alloy  Rel.     Rel.      Rel.   Rel.   Rel.                              
No.    A        B         C      D      E                                 
______________________________________                                    
1      49.84    41.16     4.84   2.73   14.1                              
2      47.42    49.6      4.81   2.67   5.7                               
3      47.26    49.20     5.57   3.01   8.4                               
4      47.51    48.49     5.36   3.16   5.6                               
5      47.30    49.18     4.39   2.95   3.7                               
6      48.09    46.52     5.31   3.17   9.7                               
7      48.08    44.87     4.99   2.92   11.7                              
8      48.63    42.92     5.05   2.95   15.0                              
______________________________________                                    
 Rel. = Relationship                                                      
                                  TABLE II                                
__________________________________________________________________________
              Room Temperature                                            
Alloy                                                                     
    Anneal                                                                
          Gr. YS,  UTS, El.,                                              
                            R.A.,                                         
                                 COE   IT                                 
No. ° F/Hour                                                       
          St. ksi  ksi  %   %    ×10.sup.-6 /° F.            
                                       ° F.                        
__________________________________________________________________________
1   1625/1                                                                
          IR  163.5                                                       
                   212.5                                                  
                        19  42   4.91  570                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  132.5                                                       
                   196.0                                                  
                        21  41                                            
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  132  192.5                                                  
                        20  40.5                                          
2   1700/1                                                                
          RF  157  188  17.5                                              
                            40   4.35  780                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  142.0                                                       
                   184.0                                                  
                        20  44                                            
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  141  183.5                                                  
                        17  64                                            
3   1700/1                                                                
          RF  169  200  16  39.5 4.20  760                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  156.5                                                       
                   195.5                                                  
                        17  39                                            
4   1550/1                                                                
          IR  177  207  15  40   4.35  785                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  148.5                                                       
                   195.0                                                  
                        17  45.5                                          
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  151.5                                                       
                   200  16  42                                            
5   1700/1                                                                
          IR  151  187  18  49   4.30  820                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  136.0                                                       
                   183.0                                                  
                        18  46                                            
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  144  179  18  40                                            
6   1900/.25                                                              
          RF  139.5                                                       
                   193.0                                                  
                        22  44   4.66  723                                
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  136.5                                                       
                   189.5                                                  
                        22  45.5                                          
7   1550/1                                                                
          IR  176.5                                                       
                   205.5                                                  
                        15  26   4.53  700                                
    1900/.25                                                              
          RF  137.5                                                       
                   195.0                                                  
                        26  44.5                                          
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  140.5                                                       
                   198.5                                                  
                        21  37                                            
8   1900/.25                                                              
          RF  131.0                                                       
                   189.0                                                  
                        24  46.5 4.70  595                                
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  134.5                                                       
                   189  23  50                                            
              1200° F.                                             
1   1625/1                                                                
          IR  141  146  21  45                                            
2   1900/1                                                                
          RC  102  126  22  44                                            
4   1550/1                                                                
          IR  148  150  23  53                                            
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  120  148  10  19                                            
7   1550/1                                                                
          IR  141.5                                                       
                   147  23.5                                              
                            61.5                                          
    1900/1                                                                
          RC  119.5                                                       
                   153  16  18.5                                          
__________________________________________________________________________
 Heat Treatment - Annealed as indicated, Water Quench, plus age of        
 1325° F/8 hrs., Furnace Cool 100° F. per hr. to 1150.degree
 F/8 hrs., Air Cool                                                       
 Gr. St. = Grain Structure -                                              
 IR-Incompletely recrystallized                                           
 RF-Recrystallized equiaxed fine grain,                                   
 RC-Recrystallized equiaxed coarse grain,                                 
 COE = Mean COE up to inflection temperature                              
 IT = Inflection Temperature                                              
                                  TABLE III                               
__________________________________________________________________________
1200° F. Stress-Rupture                                            
Alloy                                                                     
     Anneal,                                                              
            Gr. Stress,                                                   
                     Life,  Elong.,                                       
                                 R.A.,                                    
                                      Fracture                            
No.  ° F/Hour                                                      
            St. ksi  Hours  %    %    Stress, ksi                         
__________________________________________________________________________
1    1625/1.0                                                             
            IR  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     151.3  7    11   115SB                               
1625/1.0    IR  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     279.5  FAN       130*.sup.3                          
1700/1.0    RF  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     149.5  3    4    110SB                               
1700/1.0    RF  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     142.3  FAN       110*.sup.3                          
2    1625/1.0                                                             
            IR  85.0 116.7  16   25    --                                 
     1900/.25                                                             
            RF 85.0                                                       
                205.7                                                     
                     12     17    --                                      
1900/1.0    RC  95.0 4.1    FAN                                           
3    1625/1.0                                                             
            IR  85.0 8.8    10.5 42    --                                 
     1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0*.sup.2                                               
                     232.6  4    11   100                                 
1900/1.0    RC  95.0 90.4   FAN                                           
4    1550/1.0                                                             
            IR  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     106.0  25   29   100                                 
     1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0 678.3  6.5  4.5                                      
1900/1.0    RC  95.0 1.6    FAN                                           
5    1625/1.0                                                             
            IR  85.0 133.8  11.5 17                                       
     1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0 67.5   4.5  7.5                                      
     1900/1.0                                                             
            RC  95.0 6.4    3.0  8.5                                      
6    1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0.sup.+                                                
                     71.2   FAN       100                                 
     1900/1.0                                                             
            RC  95.0 0.2    FAN                                           
7    1550/1.0                                                             
            IR  70.0.sup.+                                                
                     144.4  19.5 33.5 110                                 
     1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0*.sup.1                                               
                     1101.6 6    2.5  120                                 
1900/1.0    RC  95.0*.sup.2                                               
                     219.0  FAN       100                                 
8    1900/.25                                                             
            RF  85.0*.sup.4                                               
                     157.0  4    3.5  100                                 
1900/1.0    RC  95.0 2.2    FAN                                           
__________________________________________________________________________
 Heat Treatment - Annealed as indicated, Water Quench, plus 1325°  
 F/8 hrs., Furnace Cool 100° F. per hr. to 1150° F/8 hrs.,  
 Air Cool                                                                 
 Test Specimen - Combination 0.178" dia. smooth and notch tensile bar with
 0.715-inch smooth gage length and notch K.sub.t of 3.6 except where other
 noted                                                                    
 .sup.+ after 48 hours, stress increased 5 ksi every 8-12 hours           
 *.sup.1 after 1000 hours, stress increased 5 ksi every 8-12 hours        
 *.sup.2 after 215 hours, stress increased 5 ksi every 12 hours           
 *.sup.3 K.sub.t = 4.1 (0.200-inch dia. notch in 0.283-inch dia. bar)     
 *.sup.4 after 48 hours, stress increased 5 ksi every 48 hours            
 FAN Fracture at Notch, elongation not measured                           
 SB - Smooth Bar specimen (0.20-in. dia., 1.0-in. G.L.)                   
In further illustration of the invention, compositional ranges and melting aims for preparing alloys of the invention characterized by small expansion coefficients of about 4.25 × 10-6 in./in./° F are set forth in conjunction with exemplary physical and mechanical characteristics in Table IV. If desired, the proportions of nickel, cobalt and iron can be adjusted, within the ranges and according to the relationships of the invention, in order to vary the expansion characteristics, for instance, by increasing Rel. A to increase the expansion coefficient.
                                  TABLE IV                                
__________________________________________________________________________
                                                Y.S.                      
                                                   1200° F.        
                                                   Rupture                
Al-                                                                       
   % Ni   % Co   % Cr   % Al   % Cb   % Ti   I.T.                         
                                                R.T.                      
                                                   Notch                  
                                                          Elong.*         
loy                                                                       
   Range (Aim)                                                            
          Range (Aim)                                                     
                 Range (Aim)                                              
                        Range (Aim)                                       
                               Range (Aim)                                
                                      Range (Aim)                         
                                             (F°)                  
                                                (ksi)                     
                                                   RF RC  %               
__________________________________________________________________________
A  36-40(38)                                                              
          13-17(15)                                                       
                 1.7-2.2(2)                                               
                        0.3-0.85(0.7)                                     
                               2.4-3.5(3)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             760                          
                                                148                       
                                                   S  U   5               
B  36-40(38)                                                              
          12-16(14)                                                       
                 3.7-4.2(4)                                               
                        0.3-0.85(0.7)                                     
                               2.4-3.5(3)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             640                          
                                                137                       
                                                   S  S   5               
C  36-40(38)                                                              
          12-16(14)                                                       
                 1.7-2.2(2)                                               
                        0.1-0.5(0.3)                                      
                               2.4-3.5(3)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             760                          
                                                142                       
                                                   S  U   12              
D  36-40(38)                                                              
          11-15(13)                                                       
                 3.7-4.2(4)                                               
                        0.1-0.5(0.3)                                      
                               2.4-3.5(3)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             640                          
                                                130                       
                                                   S  S   10              
E  36-40(38)                                                              
          12-16(14)                                                       
                 1.7-2.2(2)                                               
                        0.1-0.5(0.3)                                      
                               3.4-4.5(4)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             760                          
                                                155                       
                                                   S  S   5               
F  36-40(38)                                                              
          11-15(13)                                                       
                 2.7-3.2(3)                                               
                        0.1-1.5(0.3)                                      
                               3.4-4.5(4)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             700                          
                                                150                       
                                                   S  S   5               
G  36-40(38)                                                              
          12-16(14)                                                       
                 2.7-3.2(3)                                               
                        0.1-0.5(0.3)                                      
                               2.9-3.5(3)                                 
                                      1.0-1.8(1.4)                        
                                             700                          
                                                135                       
                                                   S  S   10              
__________________________________________________________________________
 Alloys Having Average Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of 4.25 ×   
 10.sup.-6 /in./in./° F.                                           
 Elong.* = Smooth Bar elongation in fine-grain condition                  
 Balance of above is iron and up to: 0.05% C, 1% Mn, 0.35% Si, 0.5% Cu,   
 0.015% S, 0.015% P and 0.012% B (aim 0.006% B)                           
 S = Satisfactory Notch Strength (at least 48 hour life at 1200°   
 F./70 ksi with K.sub.t of 3.6                                            
 U = Unsatisfactory Notch Strength                                        
An especially recommendable composition for obtaining a particularly good combination of expansion, strength and ductility characteristics in the recrystallized-plusaged condition, along with good forgeability and other fabricability for production of articles and structures, including brazed or welded structures, contains 36% to 40% nickel, 12 to 16% cobalt, 1.8 to 3.2% chromium, 3% to 4% columbium, 1.2 to 1.6% titanium, 0.1 to 0.4% aluminum, up to 0.06% carbon, 0.002 to 0.012% boron and balance essentially iron in an amount of at least 36%. For production associated with this composition, ductility characteristics can be favored by aiming at about 3%, or 2.75% to 3.25%, columbium, or, strength characteristics can be favored with an aim of about 4%, or 3.75 to 4.25% columbium.
The present invention is applicable in the production of wrought products and articles for machines and structures that are heated and cooled to a variety of temperatures from room temperature to elevated temperatures such as 600° or 1200° F. and is particularly applicable to gas turbine components such as seals, brackets, flanges, shafts, bolts, and casings.
The good fabricability of the alloy is beneficial for providing versatility in using the alloy to obtain required strength and other characteristics in a variety of production situations, for instance, where it is desired to confine forging to the hot working range when the alloy is relatively soft and forgeable with relatively low pressure and wear on the dies, or, for different production conditions, where it is more economical to extend working down into the warm working range.
Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

Claims (10)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. An alloy consisting essentially of 30% to 57% nickel, 1.7% to 8.3% chromium, 1 to 2% titanium, metal from the group columbium, tantalum and mixtures thereof in proportions providing the total percentage of columbium plus one-half the percentage of tantalum is 1.5 to 5%, up to 31% cobalt, up to 1.5% aluminum, up to 0.2% carbon, up to about 2% manganese, up to about 1% silicon, up to 0.03% boron and balance essentially iron in an amount of at least 34% of the alloy and having the composition proportioned in accordance with the following four relationships A, B, C' and D' whereby:
A. %ni+0.88(%Co)-1.70(%Al)-2.01(%Ti)+ 0.26(%Mn+% Cr) equal up to 51.8
B. %ni+1.13(%Co)-2.69(%Al)-1.47(%Ti)-1.93(%Mn)- 2.51(%Cr)+1.87(√%Cr) at least 40.8
C. %al+1.3(%Ti)+1.44(%Cb+1/2%Ta)-0.12(%Cb+1/2%Ta)2 - 0.37(%Cr)+0.03(%Cr)2 at least 3.81
D. %al+1.3(%Ti)+0.25(%Cb+1/2% Ta)-0.125(%Cr) up to 3.18
2. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 having a chromium content not exceeding 5.5% chromium.
3. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing 1.8% to 4.8% chromium.
4. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing at least 7% cobalt.
5. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing 0.1% to about 0.8% aluminum.
6. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing 0.002% to 0.012% boron.
7. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing not more than 0.5% silicon.
8. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 having a nickel content not exceeding 55% nickel.
9. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 wherein the total of columbium plus one-half tantalum is at least 2.2%, the nickel content does not exceed 55%, the chromium content does not exceed 5.5% and relationship C is at least 4.9.
10. An alloy as set forth in claim 1 containing 36% to 40 nickel, 12% to 16% cobalt, 1.8 to 3.2% chromium, 3 to 4% columbium, 1.2 to 1.6% titanium, 0.1 to 0.4% aluminum, up to 0.06 carbon, 0.002 to 0.012% boron and balance essentially iron in an amount at least 36% of the alloy.
US05/703,528 1976-07-08 1976-07-08 Low expansion superalloy Expired - Lifetime US4066447A (en)

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US05/703,528 US4066447A (en) 1976-07-08 1976-07-08 Low expansion superalloy
CA275,224A CA1085655A (en) 1976-07-08 1977-03-31 Low expansion superalloy
GB27929/77A GB1524800A (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-04 Nickel-iron-chromium alloys
NO772381A NO772381L (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-05 NICKEL-IRON-CHROME ALLOY.
DE19772730452 DE2730452A1 (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-06 NICKEL-CHROME-IRON ALLOY
FR7720823A FR2357652A1 (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-06 NEW NICKEL-IRON-CHROME ALLOYS
SE7707931A SE7707931L (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-07 NIFECR ALLOY
JP8188277A JPS536225A (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-08 Low expansible alloy
BE179214A BE856648A (en) 1976-07-08 1977-07-08 NICKEL-IRON-CHROME ALLOYS
US05/824,810 US4144102A (en) 1976-07-08 1977-08-15 Production of low expansion superalloy products

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DE (1) DE2730452A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2357652A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1524800A (en)
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US4165997A (en) * 1977-03-24 1979-08-28 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Intermediate temperature service alloy
US4172742A (en) * 1978-01-06 1979-10-30 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Alloys for a liquid metal fast breeder reactor
US4190437A (en) * 1977-12-08 1980-02-26 Special Metals Corporation Low thermal expansion nickel-iron base alloy
US4200459A (en) * 1977-12-14 1980-04-29 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Heat resistant low expansion alloy
US4225363A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-09-30 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Method for heat treating iron-nickel-chromium alloy
US4236943A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-12-02 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Precipitation hardenable iron-nickel-chromium alloy having good swelling resistance and low neutron absorbence
US4402742A (en) * 1981-10-29 1983-09-06 Get Products Corporation Iron-nickel base brazing filler metal
US4487743A (en) * 1982-08-20 1984-12-11 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Controlled expansion alloy
US4517158A (en) * 1983-03-31 1985-05-14 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Alloy with constant modulus of elasticity
US4685978A (en) * 1982-08-20 1987-08-11 Huntington Alloys Inc. Heat treatments of controlled expansion alloy
US4785142A (en) * 1987-04-10 1988-11-15 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Superconductor cable
US5137684A (en) * 1991-03-06 1992-08-11 Rockwell International Corporation Hydrogen embrittlement resistant structural alloy
US5283032A (en) * 1990-08-21 1994-02-01 Crs Holdings, Inc. Controlled thermal expansion alloy and article made therefrom
US5304346A (en) * 1990-10-26 1994-04-19 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Welding material for low coefficient of thermal expansion alloys
US5403547A (en) * 1989-12-15 1995-04-04 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Oxidation resistant low expansion superalloys
US5425912A (en) * 1994-07-07 1995-06-20 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Low expansion superalloy with improved toughness
US5439640A (en) * 1993-09-03 1995-08-08 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Controlled thermal expansion superalloy
US5534085A (en) * 1994-04-26 1996-07-09 United Technologies Corporation Low temperature forging process for Fe-Ni-Co low expansion alloys and product thereof
US6334912B1 (en) * 1998-12-31 2002-01-01 General Electric Company Thermomechanical method for producing superalloys with increased strength and thermal stability
US20040261911A1 (en) * 2003-06-30 2004-12-30 Yuko Kondo Strip material used for shadow mask having improved post-etching shape
USH2245H1 (en) 2007-03-12 2010-08-03 Crs Holdings, Inc. Age-hardenable, nickel-base superalloy with improved notch ductility
KR20180043361A (en) * 2015-09-29 2018-04-27 히타치 긴조쿠 가부시키가이샤 Low thermal expansion super heat resistant alloys and method for manufacturing the same
US10280498B2 (en) * 2016-10-12 2019-05-07 Crs Holdings, Inc. High temperature, damage tolerant superalloy, an article of manufacture made from the alloy, and process for making the alloy
US11242576B2 (en) * 2016-04-08 2022-02-08 Northwestern University Optimized gamma-prime strengthened austenitic trip steel and designing methods of same

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EP0533059B1 (en) * 1991-09-19 1997-01-02 Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Super alloy with low thermal expansion
FR2691166B1 (en) * 1992-05-13 1994-08-19 Europ Propulsion Monocrystalline superalloy based on iron-nickel, in particular for blades of rocket engine turbines, and process for obtaining them.
EP0588657B1 (en) * 1992-09-18 1998-04-15 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Controlled thermal expansion superalloy
EP0856589A1 (en) * 1997-01-29 1998-08-05 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Age hardenable / controlled thermal expansion alloy
US6416564B1 (en) 2001-03-08 2002-07-09 Ati Properties, Inc. Method for producing large diameter ingots of nickel base alloys
US7156932B2 (en) * 2003-10-06 2007-01-02 Ati Properties, Inc. Nickel-base alloys and methods of heat treating nickel-base alloys
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Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4165997A (en) * 1977-03-24 1979-08-28 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Intermediate temperature service alloy
US4190437A (en) * 1977-12-08 1980-02-26 Special Metals Corporation Low thermal expansion nickel-iron base alloy
US4200459A (en) * 1977-12-14 1980-04-29 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Heat resistant low expansion alloy
US4172742A (en) * 1978-01-06 1979-10-30 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Alloys for a liquid metal fast breeder reactor
US4225363A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-09-30 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Method for heat treating iron-nickel-chromium alloy
US4236943A (en) * 1978-06-22 1980-12-02 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Precipitation hardenable iron-nickel-chromium alloy having good swelling resistance and low neutron absorbence
US4402742A (en) * 1981-10-29 1983-09-06 Get Products Corporation Iron-nickel base brazing filler metal
US4487743A (en) * 1982-08-20 1984-12-11 Huntington Alloys, Inc. Controlled expansion alloy
US4685978A (en) * 1982-08-20 1987-08-11 Huntington Alloys Inc. Heat treatments of controlled expansion alloy
US4517158A (en) * 1983-03-31 1985-05-14 Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Alloy with constant modulus of elasticity
US4785142A (en) * 1987-04-10 1988-11-15 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Superconductor cable
EP0285952A3 (en) * 1987-04-10 1989-04-05 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Superconductor cable
US5403547A (en) * 1989-12-15 1995-04-04 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Oxidation resistant low expansion superalloys
US5283032A (en) * 1990-08-21 1994-02-01 Crs Holdings, Inc. Controlled thermal expansion alloy and article made therefrom
US5304346A (en) * 1990-10-26 1994-04-19 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Welding material for low coefficient of thermal expansion alloys
US5137684A (en) * 1991-03-06 1992-08-11 Rockwell International Corporation Hydrogen embrittlement resistant structural alloy
US5439640A (en) * 1993-09-03 1995-08-08 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Controlled thermal expansion superalloy
US5534085A (en) * 1994-04-26 1996-07-09 United Technologies Corporation Low temperature forging process for Fe-Ni-Co low expansion alloys and product thereof
US5425912A (en) * 1994-07-07 1995-06-20 Inco Alloys International, Inc. Low expansion superalloy with improved toughness
US6334912B1 (en) * 1998-12-31 2002-01-01 General Electric Company Thermomechanical method for producing superalloys with increased strength and thermal stability
US20040261911A1 (en) * 2003-06-30 2004-12-30 Yuko Kondo Strip material used for shadow mask having improved post-etching shape
USH2245H1 (en) 2007-03-12 2010-08-03 Crs Holdings, Inc. Age-hardenable, nickel-base superalloy with improved notch ductility
KR20180043361A (en) * 2015-09-29 2018-04-27 히타치 긴조쿠 가부시키가이샤 Low thermal expansion super heat resistant alloys and method for manufacturing the same
US10633717B2 (en) 2015-09-29 2020-04-28 Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Low thermal expansion superalloy and manufacturing method thereof
US11242576B2 (en) * 2016-04-08 2022-02-08 Northwestern University Optimized gamma-prime strengthened austenitic trip steel and designing methods of same
US10280498B2 (en) * 2016-10-12 2019-05-07 Crs Holdings, Inc. High temperature, damage tolerant superalloy, an article of manufacture made from the alloy, and process for making the alloy
US10837091B2 (en) 2016-10-12 2020-11-17 Crs Holdings, Inc. High temperature, damage tolerant superalloy, an article of manufacture made from the alloy, and process for making the alloy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE7707931L (en) 1978-01-09
CA1085655A (en) 1980-09-16
BE856648A (en) 1978-01-09
US4144102A (en) 1979-03-13
NO772381L (en) 1978-01-10
JPS536225A (en) 1978-01-20
GB1524800A (en) 1978-09-13
FR2357652A1 (en) 1978-02-03
DE2730452A1 (en) 1978-01-12

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